Uber for Calgary?

[Fuzz]

Looks like they divided "screw it, lets go for it"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...271587?cmp=rss

[artvandelay]

Thank Allah! Can't wait to try this out.

[MasterG]

Would the city be on the hook for any of the licensing fees that taxi drivers / companies pay for the right to access their monopoly?

Now that the competition is real, I am surprised that dominant player in the picture (i.e. existing taxi companies) haven't started to innovate.

Regulate the safety and liability elements, but allow all the technological and payment innovation of Uber. Why is this difficult?

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by MasterG

Now that the competition is real, I am surprised that dominant player in the picture (i.e. existing taxi companies) haven't started to innovate.

Regulate the safety and liability elements, but allow all the technological and payment innovation of Uber. Why is this difficult?

It's quite a bit harder than it seems at first glance. The biggest difference between Uber and traditional taxi companies is that Uber is a technology company first, and a ride dispatcher second. The technology is built around ride dispatching.

Traditional taxi companies are simply ride dispatchers, and the companies are based around doing that as cheaply as possible, hence, a lack of technology.

Someone like Uber is well set up to innovate, because their entire business model relies on technology. They have software engineers on staff developing proprietary technology for years.

Taxi companies have guys answering phones and routing cabs to different locations. There is some technology, but they aren't set up to spearhead giant new software systems to integrate with their existing workflows.

The taxi industry faces an existential crisis, but they don't have the expertise to really do what Uber does. The drivers aren't technology people, and the dispatchers don't have the resources either.

Once your business model is set up to hire a certain set of people with certain skills, it is very hard to flip that on it's side and use all your operating income to hire a completely different set of workers to do a completely different job. In reality, you'd need quite a bit more capital than operating income, which means incredibly risky loans to basically bet your whole enterprise on shifting into a technology company that, even if they start now, is already several years behind Uber.

The entire thing is a great case study in why technology companies like Amazon and Uber can so easily disrupt traditional brick and mortar retail companies. By starting their entire company from technology first, they turn the entire industry on it's head, the impact strikes like a meteor, and the dinosaurs become extinct.

[Surrealplaces]

It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. I'm aware that there are two sides to this controversy, but it will be good to have an alternative choice.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. I'm aware that there are two sides to this controversy, but it will be good to have an alternative choice.

City Council has been dragging their feet on this for far too long. The recent decision to even reject Uber entering with limo service was probably the last straw.

Each time they pay lip service to Uber saying they are working on a set of guidelines to pave the way for them to enter the market, then they say, "oh wait, this set of rules that we came up with that somehow took years to vote on is somehow not going to work, let's come up with a better set of rules. Don't worry. We'll figure this out. Trust us."

[MalcolmTucker]

The taxi industry could have put in place reforms years ago to maintain some value in medallions - now the value they fought to protect is gone.

Fun times in protected industry high.

[Wentworth]

The below is from ICBC... I wonder what percentage of Uber drivers actually meet these requiremenst? I don't get the hype around Uber, seems sketchy to me. Then again I spend about $50/year on taxi fare, my story might change if I was a regular taxi user.

I want to use my vehicle to drive passengers for payment, for a service like Uber or Lyft. What kind of licence do I need?

• At a minimum a Class 4 (restricted). This is a commercial driver’s licence, which allows you to drive up to 10 persons including the driver.
• Before you pick up your first passenger you’ll also need:
• The owner of the vehicle to declare how they plan to use the vehicle so the insurance can be properly assigned a specific taxi or limousine rate class. Talk to your broker, they can help make sure you have the right coverage for how you use your vehicle.
• Licence plates specially designated for taxis and limousines
• You will also need:
• A licence approved by B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board
• A National Safety Code Safety Certificate
• Semi-annual commercial vehicle inspections
• Check with the municipality where you plan to operate for any additional requirements
• If you’re involved in a crash without having completed all necessary requirements, there could be very serious financial consequences including potentially having to repay the full value of all claims that arise and forfeiting coverage for your own injuries as well as damage to your vehicle. Passengers and other injured parties are protected by the insurance coverage purchased on the vehicle, which always includes Basic Third Party Liability and Accident Benefits. Your passengers may also have access to other sources of coverage through their own vehicle, driver’s licence, or from a member of their household.
• We want to make sure you’r

• e covered.

http://www.icbc.com/FAQ/Pages/Driver-licensing.aspx

[suburbia]

http://www.lfpress.com/2015/08/19/th...sely-in-london

[DizzyEdge]

I've taken Uber 3 times today already. No complaints, friendly drivers, albeit a bit green so there's a fair bit of checking their cell phone laying on the passenger seat for gps nav.

[mersar]

How's the price been?

[speedog]

AMA Insurance's take on Uber, carpooling and driving other people around - link.

Uber and it's current issues are like many things in everyone's life - how much risk are you willing to take on? Rolling stops - we're probably all guilty of such but continue to do so because the risk of getting an actual ticket is so remote.

[Fuzz]

If you have an accident while carrying passengers for pay, you’d be personally liable. Because your personal auto policy doesn’t cover you as a ride-for-hire, you’d be on the hook to personally cover the costs of any associated lawsuits from passengers, or repairs to your vehicle and the other vehicles involved.

That sounds a lot more risky than a rolling stop ticket....

[speedog]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

That sounds a lot more risky than a rolling stop ticket....

Like I said - how much risk are you willing to take on?

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by mersar

How's the price been?

maybe 10% less than a cab, + no tipping so effectively even less.

For example, I took one to work, which with tip would normally be around $18.
Was $14 with Uber.

[geotag277]

Uber temporarily stopping operations in Calgary as of 6 AM this morning.

They had one of their most successful launches ever in this city. This isn't over.

[casper]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

The taxi industry could have put in place reforms years ago to maintain some value in medallions - now the value they fought to protect is gone.

Fun times in protected industry high.

The taxi industry is out to lunch on this one. All across North American they are focused on protecting the people who own the licenses. Those people are not the drivers.

We need more Uber development across Canada. Go Uber!!